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The green basil is doing well and so is the parsley. The borage has gone crazy and is taking over the tiny garden. Gorgeous purple flowers though. The plant tastes like fish...old fish... so will only plant it for the flowers and have it outside. You are supposed to be able to cut up the leaves and put them in salad. Eww, no way. The flowers you are supposed to be able to sugar and use for eating and decorations but again, they taste like sugared fish.
The thyme is coming along but the oregano did not stand a chance with the borage taking over. The purple basil did not make it either because of the overcrowding and the borage. Just noticed that one of the borage flowers is pink and not purple like the others. As I look closer, I see 2-3 more pink ones getting ready to open in the clusters. Very interesting.
We are getting ready to turn over the earth in our garden area and then plant right away. I hope to have a small section for other herbs. Will have to see if my sister is willing to let me have a small section for them and to plant some companion flowers in between.
Happy Spring planting everyone,
Barbara
Hi, All,
Very cold and cloudy today and we may get snow again. From my window, I can see the close by low mountains dusted with snow and the bare limbed trees reaching for the sky. Even with the cloudiness, the view is so beautiful.
The window garden is in and my grand niece checks to see if any of the seeds have germinated. She doesn't understand that it takes weeks for them to pop up and may take longer since they are near the window and it is chllly there. It is so much fun too see her excitement! I did get her a big bag of large sea shells so she could "listen" to the sea and she is loving that. So with all the shells and the planter, my window seat is a place of wonder for her and joy for my eyes to see her so happy and enjoying the little pleasures life offers.
Looking Forward to Spring,
Barbara
There is more snow coming! The surrounding hills still have snow and it is so pretty. We are due to get more tomorrow or Friday. It probably won't last long either as Spring is around the corner and we do not usually keep it long here. The trees are starting to bud but am glad that the blossoms are holding off.
My grand niece and I are going to plant our window sill garden today and repot my rosemary bush. I was able to get her working gloves that come with stakes so you can put the names of each plant with each seed section. We will have so much fun. Am trying to instill in her the wonder and excitement of gardening.
The sun is streaming in the window and if feels so warm but it is only 34 outside. Hope you all are having some sunshine today or that you had some.
My heart is sad over the New Zealand quake and the devastation and most especially for the lost lives and those still trapped. I am praying that God will help the workers and strengthen them so they can find the trapped ones and get them out safely. I can't imagine being trapped.....
Hoping for Good News,
~Barbara
Reno and the Sierras beyond are heavy with snow. My nephew drives a truck and he has been with chains on for almost 2 days! He is just getting back into our area and is only 20 miles from home and he finally got to take his chains off! Guess I won't pray for any more snow! We only have a dusting of snow and it has been in the 40's.
Did buy a window garden set up. It is small but my grand niece and I are going to plant herb seeds next week. My window gets sun all day. I even bought solar lights and put them in the plants on my deep window sill and they glowed all night. I did not buy the ones you can shut off. Oops! But it was pretty to wake up at 2 AM to pretty little lights.
Hope you all are doing well. Can't wait for Spring. My back is getting a bit better every day with the exercises and the water exercises at the pool. So am hoping to be able to dig in the garden this year!!!
~Barbara
The last of our snow is gone on the ground and the low mountains are now almost devoid of snow too. We had 50-60 degree weather and we were opening windows and letting in the fresh air. Buds are forming on the trees and am hoping we go back to cold weather for awhile so we have a fruitful spring. If it gets too warm, the trees get confused and send out their lovely blossoms too early and then the frost returns. Today is very chilly and it is supposed to continue that way. Am praying for good weather as my sis and I are traveling to California in a few days so I can get into the dentist and eye doctor. The "Mountain" may have other ideas but we are hoping for clear sailing through Tuesday.
Will get some photos of this area and from my lovely bedroom window and post them soon.
Happy Day to All of You,
Barbara
Hello, Everyone on GG! Hope the New Year brings lots of rain, lovely gardens, and much happiness to you all.
This year I am hoping to help my sister with putting in her garden! I am staying with my sister and her hubby for awhile in Nevada. We have a few inches of snow on the ground that has crystallized and it is so lovely. The roads are clear and that is a blessing. My back is slowly improving so I am very anxious to start the garden but we still have a bit of a wait.
I do have a pretty rosemary bush in my window and am hoping to add a lavender plant and maybe another herb or two. I get to do most of the cooking and miss having fresh herbs. The window seat is about 2 feet deep so I will be able to get several pretty plants on there. Have to keep them a bit away from the window for now as it is very cold outside. Even with double panes, it gets cold in the house. A new experience for me! We have had it as low as 7 degrees! My pup loves the cold weather and the snow and the room to run with the other three dogs!
Take Care Everyone and Let Me Hear from You,
Barbara
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Take a look at my photos and see my pretty sunflower. I have one more that is almost ready to open up but she won't be as big as the first one since she was planted later.
We have finally had some high heat days but it only lasted a few days. Tomorrow is to be in the 80's which is much better.
The potted flowers are starting to wind down and the shade is changing and the day is shorter. Fall is coming. Some leaves are changing and a few have fallen but not many yet. We have 3 months or more of Fall and changing colors. Ah, just love it.
Just helped a friend redesign her backyard and she had me draw up pictures. Can't wait to see it all done. She has found this wonderful ground cover called Stepables. It even has dozens of kinds that flower and you can walk on it. We are hoping to one day dig up our lawn and put it in instead. I would like to put in different ones that are divided somehow with a walkway of pounded sand. It would make my hubby's job so much eaiser. They have drought resistant kind too.
We have a resident owl or it's baby and it makes a triangular swing over our neighborhood at night and does it's strange screech. It is a huge white owl. It is flying by and letting us know she is still around. When she has babies, she flies by with the little ones. Quite a site. We have another resident that I sincerely wish would move on and that is a opossum. It was in the apple tree the other night and hissed at my dog, who though small is mighty and unafraid. We do have raccoons that live in the water sewers and we have other critters too. They can get pretty feisty at night and wake us up. Sometimes I wonder if we really do live in the city! The hills and open areas are just a mile or two away so we do get some visitors. My friends that live by the hills have to keep their cats inside because we do have mountain lions and they see deer walking down the street often.
Still no real pain relief with my back but there are days that aren't as bad. Just applied for a computer job that I can do at home. Hope I get it. It will give me something to do and need some extra so that next Spring we can put some changes into the yards so the upkeep will be less. The weeds have overtaken my roses in front. It is sad indeed. Need to find a kid that wants to make a few dollars and have them weed for me.
Have a buddy pass so will be flying to Alabama in a few weeks to visit my hubby's brother and his wife. My daughter and I are going together. Really looking forward to it. The airlines meet you with wheelchairs and escort you to your flight and thru the check in stuff. Am looking forward to what plants and trees grow in Alabama. Will take pictures.
Hope you all are doing well. ~Barbara
We have had the best summer. It is so reminiscent of our summers in the 70's and 80's. Only a few really hot days so far. It is supposed to heat up some this week but the evenings are heavenly cool and so are the mornings until noon. A real blessing after all the bad winter weather this year.
Did some watering last night and a little weeding in the pots while Don mowed our tiny yard of grass. Yesterday was a good day for my back and today has been even better. Was able to get lots of inside chores done but I stop and look outside at my pretty plants. Will be repotting my Wandering Jew today. It is root bound for sure. This is the purple kind that has the silver stripes. Just a beautiful plant and it adds color inside all year round.
Sorry, nothing real newsy here right now. Just wanted to say hi! ~Barbara
Tried to post a picture here of the volunteer sunflower but it would not let me. They are on my photo page. Go and take a look. It is now just a head of sunflower seeds that is drying on my patio but I did plant a few more but they are not doing well. Our summer has been deliciously cool but it is not great for the flowers.
The herb garden is doing well in pots. Have added a Wandering Jew, fern and pink begonia to my plants in the living room. Am planning on filling up the edges of the patio with large pots and am trying to convince my hubby that we need a retaining wall garden at the back fence. Then I could stand and garden a little at a time. Our yard is so tiny but it would be a good 15-20 feet long. I could get some good veggies in there next year. Ah, I can dream. Until then, it will be just patio gardening but am grateful for even that. More potatoes are coming up from volunteers but need to dig them all up at harvest time as they need to be moved to new ground and this area needs to be heavily fertilized.
That's my news! Would love to hear from you, Barbara
We are having the nicest weather. It is so wonderful.
Have a sunflower that just popped up on it's own and it is so beautiful. Took some pictures of it and will try to get them posted. It is sharing a large pot with a lovey rose bush. My patio garden is doing really well and the herbs are thriving.My fugi apple is doing much better this year. What a relief and she is loaded with apples. The apricot is still fruitless. We may take it out and try with another one.
My patio garden is doing well and I want to expand to some large pots so I can have a few veggies. It won't happen this summer but may be able to get a fall crop in if I can get the pots and soil. The potatoes are doing well and are yummy.
Not much garden news here. Hope you are all doing well.
Happy Gardening,
Barbara
Thank you all for your care and prayers and good wishes!!! In one week I have gone from walking with a cane to walking without one. My chiropractor is doing amazing things for me. I am beyond grateful. The blessings have been pouring in. I even went grocery shopping today - alone - for the first time in 6 months or so!!! God is good.
Had to fly to New York 3 weeks ago so I haven't been around and when I was around, have been cleaning and gardening a little. You should hear from me more regularly now.
Was able to pot and repot some plants, flowers and herbs. My patio is really improving. The weeds in the yard have not but I'll get to them pretty soon. Found an herb called Pineapple Sage and it is tasty just to chew on. I put it in a marinade for chicken and my hubby says it was the best chicken he ever had. He is not a chicken fan. I will share it with you.
6-8 skinless chicken breasts
6 T organic sugar (You could use 6 little scoops of Stevia for no calories or Aqave Syrup for same calories but won't upset your blood sugar levels)
1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt with the minerals in it
3/4 C water
Juice of 1 lemons and some lemon slices
1/4 C of torn up Pineapple Sage leaves
Marinate for 2 hours, BBQ, the sugar makes it glaze over, serve with salad and corn on the cob and whatever else.
I made this up yesterday and took the meat to a Memorial Day BBQ at some friends and was so glad it turned out well. Had just come up with the recipe and did not know if it would taste good. Can't believe I do that to unsuspecting friends but can't help myself! I did bring along some other meat in case it did not turn out.
We are finally getting Spring weather but just don't understand the continual wind. It has been blowing almost nonstop for 3 months or more. Very odd. We have had pretty nice weather for a few days but think more rain is coming our way. El Nino go away and come back another day..... in fall!!! :]]
Happy Spring to You All,
Barbara
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